Entering the United States is becoming more and more complicated for foreigners, including Europeans. And not only for those who want to reach the country looking for work, but also for simple tourists.
Since Donald Trump came to power, a whole series of restrictions and new measures have been introduced that have led to the rejection of various visitors to the arrival airport and, in the most serious cases, also their detention. The situation is so serious that several European governments are updating the travel indications for their citizens, to warn them of the risks that run to go overseas.
The arrests
Among the most striking cases, that of the 28 -year -old British Rebecca Burke, who was blocked on the border between Canada and the United States and placed in a state of detention for three weeks before being sent back to the United Kingdom. Before her, two German tourists had been expelled in two separated cases after trying to enter the United States from Mexico. Both spent weeks in a detention center in San Diego and declared that they were not clear why they were held and expelled.
The case of a French scientist who was denied entry to the United States this month after immigration officials in an airport searched his phone and found messages in which he had expressed criticisms of the administration of Donald Trump was also particularly worrying.
The French minister of higher education and research, Philippe Baptiste, denounced this, who said that the measure “was apparently taken by the American authorities because the researcher’s phone contained exchanges with colleagues and friends in which he expressed a personal opinion on the research policy of the Trump administration”.
“Anti -migrant climate”
Pedro Rios, director of the frontier program between the United States and Mexico of the American Friends Service Committee, a non-profit organization that deals with migrant assistance, recently declared to the AP that in 22 years of work on the border has never seen travelers from western Europe and Canada, always allies of the USA of the USA in this way.
“It is decidedly unusual that these cases are so close, and the logic of the possession of these people does not make sense and does not justify the treatment and abominable conditions they have suffered,” he said. “The only reason I see is that there is a much more fervent atmosphere against immigrants,” he added.
The new directions for travel
As a consequence of these events, several European countries have changed their travel indications for their citizens in the United States. Among these: United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, France, Finland, Netherlands and Belgium.
Most of these indications refer to the executive order of Donald Trump of January 20, 2025 on the genre of individuals. The United States now recognize only two sexes, male and female, defined at birth, which eliminates the possibility of declaring themselves of the “x” genre for people who identify themselves as non -binary, which was previously allowed.
The travel council of the Dutch foreign ministry, for example, reads: “The Ministry advises LGBTQI+ people to be aware that the laws and customs of the United States towards LGBTQI+ people can be different from those of the Netherlands”.
Attention also to small mistakes
Similar suggestions were given by the Belgian government that explained that they were “carefully monitoring” the situation of LGBT+ rights in the country. “The current travel tips already warn from the different attitudes towards the people of the LGBTQI+community, which may vary significantly from state to state”, but “in light of the most severe controls to the borders and the changed attitudes towards transgender people” the government explained that now it intends to “better inform travelers about potential difficulties in entry into the United States and on the risks they can go on”.
“If the passport reports the genre X or if you have changed sex, we advise you to contact the American embassy before the journey to confirm the applicable rules,” Danish diplomacy also warned, as reported by France Presse.
In his travel recommendations, Berlin also warned the Germans that “the criminal records in the United States, the incorrect declarations on the purpose of the stay or even a small exceeding the time limit during the trip can lead to arrest, detention and expulsion at the entrance or exiting the country”.
How to enter the United States
People who wish to enter the United States and who are not US citizens must have a valid passport that does not run within six months. In addition, most people need a visa or, for citizens of the countries participating in the exemption agreement such as those of the EU, an electronic travel authorization system is in force, known as Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorization).
The latter is required online by presenting a photo (or a scan on the computer) of a valid passport, in addition to an email address, a home address, a telephone number and an emergency contact and paying a $ 21 tax. Tourism or business stays without work visa are possible up to 90 days.
